Some Wounds Never Heal
by ali0831
Summary: After the events at Grady memorial and the loss of Beth, the group gets overrun by zombies. Daryl's hand is forced, and he must leave Beth and Carol behind. Fighting with his inner demons, Daryl lost any faith he had left after losing Beth. Can he find his way out of the darkness? Does fate have other plans in store? xBethLIVES slightly AU
1. Left Behind

**A/N: Hey all! so here I am, beginning yet another story when I still have two others that need to be finished. I went about writing this one differently. Instead of uploading it on here as quickly as my ideas hit the paper, I decided to take my time. I've been working on this story for a couple months now...hoping to find a new approach to where I may actually finish my stories. Anyway, this is a Beth lives fic because frankly, I hated that she was axed. So I'm gonna live in denial and write this fanfiction. Also, this has only been edited by me. I don't know how this whole getting a BETA thing works, so if someone could please inbox me if you are a BETA or could explain to me how I get one...I'd greatly appreciate that. Enjoy this chapter guys!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead. Credit goes to Robert Kirkman for this brilliant post-apocalyptic idea.**_

* * *

The sound of the gunshot was deafening; Daryl felt the alarm rise in his chest, the warm blood splattering onto his face.

That mess of beautiful blond hair sprawled out on the cold floor of the hospital; crimson gathering into the cracks of the tiles.

His mind couldn't process the scene before him, his body moved on its own accord; lifting the gun and aiming it directly at the officer's head, without hesitation his finger pulled the trigger.

He blinked; once, twice, taking in the scene that lie before him, he felt that same familiar pain in his chest, for a brief second his mind wandered.

He always thought that the more people you lost that you cared for, the less it would hurt.

But damn it if it didn't make it that much more unbearable.

Falling to his knees, he tried his hardest to control his choked sobs.

He made his way to her; He was running short on faith, but he hoped with the last ounce of it left in him, that when he held her close he'd feel her breath on his neck.

Daryl turned Beth over in his arms, looking down at her beautiful face that once held so much life, fade into a deathly white.

That was when he knew, the hope he felt burnt out, the denial he felt sunk into his gut as he came to grips with everything.

"Beth…" His voice came out as a rough, unfamiliar whisper.

"Open y' eyes, girl…" Even with Daryl's words, no response came.

He buried his face in her neck, unable to hold back the sobs that raked over his entire body. "I came all this way, I found ya….y' ain't supposed to do this to me Greene. I jus' got y' back."

The snarls of the undead were faint, but close enough for everyone to hear.

Officer McGinley ran to the nearest window her facial expression giving off a great deal of panic.

"Walkers, lots of 'em." She breathed, clutching her gun close to her chest.

The hand that rested on Daryl's shoulder was strong, but still gentle.

"We have to go, Daryl." Rick's voice held a great amount of sympathy, his voice strained from fighting back his emotions as well.

Daryl nodded slowly, running a trembling hand through Beth's soft blond hair before scooping her up into his arms and heading toward the stairwell without another word.

* * *

"We've got to move!" Rick led the group down the stairwell as quickly as he could.

Tyrese and Sasha followed suit behind him, Daryl who was clutching to Beth's lifeless body; and a weak Carol fell behind.

"Daryl!" He heard the shout for him echo throughout the stairwell. Rick had to be nearing the entrance of the hospital.

Sasha and Tyrese were almost out of sight as well but Daryl knew the only way to catch up would be to leave Beth behind…and that was something he couldn't do.

The walkers were closing in, they had to have encountered at least a dozen of them from the corpses that littered the hallway and the walkers that pushed forward inching closer and closer to the stairwell.

Daryl's eyes darted from walker to walker trying to figure out how to make it out alive with Carol and Beth.

Rick and the other two were too far ahead, Daryl and Carol were on their own.

Daryl had no other choice, as much as he didn't want to do this he needed to fight his way out.

He set Beth's body down on one of the stairs. Shielding her with his body, Carol stood next to him, readying her pistol and taking aim.

She managed to accomplish two headshots, but the sound of the shots would only draw more walkers to them.

"Son a' bitch…" Daryl muttered under his breath.

A sudden thud in Carol's direction broke Daryl's attention from the walkers.

Carol collapsed on the bottom step, trying to catch her breath and holding her right side in pain.

"Carol-"

"Look out!" She shouted to him at the same time he heard the sickening gurgling too close for comfort.

He felt decaying fingers grip his shoulder and in an instant he had released his crossbow and knocked it into the walker's skull in one fell swoop.

When Daryl's eyes met Carol's, the look she gave him told him what he needed to do, he wouldn't do it.

Carol reached for his hand, nodding her head. "You need to leave." She told him softly, a sad smile forming on her lips.

The groans of the undead were closing in on them.

"There's too many of 'em! We'd never make it!"

Daryl turned his attention onto the oncoming walkers.

He took a lone bow and pierced the eye socket of the walker zeroing in on him; the abomination fell to the floor.

He turned his attention back to Carol. "I'm not leaving you, or Beth." His lips were pursed into a tight line, his eyes serious.

He tried his best to swallow the lump in his throat; he couldn't deny that Carol was right.

They'd never make it.

Carol nodded her head in hopes of reassuring Daryl. "I'll be right behind you."

Daryl forced a nod, because he didn't trust himself to go along with this plan if he spoke, if he opened his mouth he'd protest.

Tearing his eyes from the two people who meant more to him than he could ever understand was probably on his list of the hardest things he's done in his life.

His eyes rested on Beth's lifeless body, this may be the last time he'd see her…the gaping hole in his heart ached, if that were even at all possible anymore.

"I plan on getting out, with Beth. She deserves a proper burial." Carol said to him.

Daryl ripped his gaze away, charging toward the handful of walkers blocking his path.

He removed the lone bow from the eye socket of his first kill.

He stuck it through the mouth of his second, a swift kick to the two that followed suit, stomping ones brains in and using the end of his crossbow once more to smash the next ones skull in.

* * *

Daryl's eyes glanced to the stairwell once more, he watched as Carol covered herself in the remains of the rotting corpses.

"I'll be right behind you, go!" He heard her shout as he made his way to the front entrance.

What waited before him was much worse than he could possibly have prepared for.

The entire front lot was overrun with zombies.

"It seems someone left the gates wide open." Daryl muttered.

His eyes found each of his companions fighting their way toward the red fire truck that was parked just outside the gates.

Daryl ran as fast as he could through the horde, fighting his way through as swiftly as he could.

The group followed his strategy meeting up back to back as quickly as they could.

They backed away from the walker in front of them, Rosita and Tara trying to focus on the ones that blocked their path in front.

"We have to go!" Abraham shouted.

Daryl shook his head in disagreement.

"Where's Carol?" Rick asked, fending off the duo of zombies coming toward him.

"She said she'd be right behind me!" Daryl saw Abraham shake his head.

"We have to go. Right now." Daryl headed back toward the hospital, only to be yanked back roughly; the grip on his forearm was to firm to shake.

"I'm not leaving them!" Daryl yelled, trying to fight off Abrahams grip.

He felt his feet being drug across the concrete with too much force for Daryl to shake off.

Maggie's voice was heard in the distance, "No! Beth! Where's Beth?!" Daryl's heart had sunk at the realization that Maggie wasn't aware of her sister's demise.

Daryl looked in her direction, both Glenn and Rick gripping her tightly to keep her from running through the horde and into the hospital.

"I'm not leaving them!" He shouted, still trying to tear himself away from Abraham.

His stamina faltered, his body giving up just before his mind. He was defeated, completely defeated.

He closed his eyes, wondering how many times he's cried for his loved ones completely unaware of it.

He felt the cool metal rest against his back.

His mind going back to Carol on the stairwell, insisting he go on ahead.

Then, the sudden image of Beth resting her head up against the old moonshine shack invaded his mind.

 _Her smile faded as she spoke. "Someday I'm gonna be gone."_

 _"Stop it." He heard his gruff voice echo inside of his mind, the memory almost too much to bear._

 _"I will…" That night had been a quiet one, and Beth paused; staring at Daryl with such honest intensity in her eyes._

 _"You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon."_

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed and thank you all for the support!**


	2. Hope

**A/N: Hey guys, I know it's only been a day since I posted this story...I guess I was expecting a little more interest from readers. I'm not gonna be pessimistic. It's only been a day. But like I said, I've actually been working on this story for a couple months...so chapter two is done and ready to be posted so here you all are! I'm in need of a BETA. Because I probably don't edit this as well as it needs to be. Anyway. I hope you enjoy. Review, follow, and favorite! It's greatly appreciate, I also love hearing what you guys think. Oh and just for the sake of the story; I am NOT a Doctor...I researched quite a bit...but some may still be a bit far fetched.**

* * *

The worn tires of the firetruck were loud on the asphalt.

The entire group was silent in the back of the truck, "How the hell could you just leave them in there?!" Maggie jumped down both Daryl and Rick's throats not planning on allowing them to get a word in until she was finished.

"Beth was all I had left! And we just left her!"

"Maggie…" Rick's voice had a suspicious tone to it, as if he was dreading his next words.

Maggie's eyes passed between Rick and Daryl.

"What is it?" She said, and Daryl could have sworn she held her breath at the end of that question.

Rick glanced at Daryl, his eyes telling him all he needed to hear.

Aw hell, how was he supposed to speak those words when he himself wasn't ready to accept it?

Saying it out loud made it real, Beth would be dead, and Carol would be gone.

"Maggie, sit down." Daryl ran a shaking hand over his face.

Why the hell would Rick do this to him? Out of all people?

Was it because Rick thought Daryl accepted the deaths of the people in their group so easily and moved on? If that was the case, it wouldn't be this time around.

Daryl was angry at Beth, how could she help change him without him even realizing it?

How could she show him how good it was to have faith and hope, only to go and get killed?

How could she do this to him?

"I want to know what's going on, now!" Maggie glanced between the two, waiting on an answer.

The tension in the air grew thick.

"Beth is dead, Maggie." The words spilled from Daryl's lips before he could even figure out a less painful way to announce it.

It was amazing; with all the emotions running through his mind, the tone of his voice held no form of it, no sympathy, no pain, nothing.

Could Beth's death have been the trigger for this numbness?

Or was it the constant loss of the people he cared about the most?

Maggie fell to her knees in shock, she placed a trembling hand over her mouth, and she completely fell apart.

Glenn was at her side, pulling her into his chest in a gentle embrace.

Daryl chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying to avoid a breakdown on his end again.

He needed to hold it together, if not for himself then for the rest of them.

He looked around the back of the truck, glancing at all of the survivors.

His eye caught sight of Carl in the corner, holding a sleeping Judith on his lap.

Daryl felt the small smile form on his lips, only to fall when even looking at sweet baby Judith reminded him of Beth, only to reignite the pain in his chest.

Judith would never know Beth as the young woman who raised her behind the safe walls of the prison, who sang such sweet lullabies to her.

Daryl turned his attention away, unable to look at the child any longer.

He heard the pain in Maggie's sobs; she clutched her chest trying to control the agonizing sobs.

Daryl lifted his eyes to her familiar silhouette, as she made her way to the farthest end of the vehicle, no doubt wanting some space.

So many emotions were jumbled up inside of him he didn't know what he was feeling.

He looked up at Maggie who was heartbroken for having lost her sister, and he felt a pang of anger jab at him.

From what he'd assumed it seemed like Maggie had already written Beth off long ago, Daryl believed he was probably one of the only ones that had hope left that she was alive when she had been taken from him so long ago.

* * *

After what seemed like hours, the horde had moved on and away from Grady Memorial hospital, Beth's body remained on the stairwell, covered in decomposing remains.

Carol mentally pulled herself together, forcing herself to stand and take out the few remaining walkers.

She went to check the front, and noticed that Daryl and the rest were no longer waiting for them.

She put it together; the horde of walkers must have closed in on them.

Carol was more than a little defeated knowing that she was on her own, stuck at this hospital once again.

"I'll find you guys…" She whispered out loud, turning around and heading back to Beth's body.

She willed herself to find the strength to carry Beth long enough until she found a vehicle.

Carol maneuvered the fragile body into her arms, picking her up from the staircase.

She clutched onto Beth tighter as her body broke out into convulsions.

Her mind settled on the first rational thing she could do.

She took the flight of stars as quickly as she could due to the state she was in; and she smacked her palm up against the glass doors.

"I don't know what's happening! Help me!" She screamed, banging on the doors.

The Doctor and a couple officers rushed to the door, yanking it open.

The Doctor looked down at Beth, quickly gathering her in his arms and heading into the exam room on his left, closest to them.

He pulled out a syringe, hooking up the I.V. bag and finding her vein in what seemed like a matter of seconds.

Beth's body stopped abruptly, her lifeless body as still as it was in Daryl's arms.

"What are you doing?!" Carol shouted, pulling the gun out of her Hollister once again.

"I need to get her back to my group, so whatever sick experiments you plan on doing with her, I'd advise you forget about 'em" She glanced from the Doctors face to where his fingers rested on the inside of Beth's wrist and then Carol noticed the other set of fingers gently pressed against her carotid artery.

"Oh my…" He breathed; his facial expression pensive.

"Let her go!" Carol shouted once more, the doctor ignored her commands and the female officer from earlier stepped forward. "What is it?"

The doctor was pulled from his haze, and he looked directly at Carol. "She's alive." He said, astonished.

Carol furrowed her brows in confusion; she couldn't have heard that correctly. "What? How?"

The doctor shrugged, "I don't know…but she's going to need surgery, if I don't do it, then the pressure on her brain will kill her. It would only be a matter of time."

A pregnant pause formed between the two of them for quite a few seconds. "You brought her in because you were afraid. I understand you don't trust me…but if you want Beth to live, you're going to need to."

She swallowed the lump in her throat, he was right; she didn't even know if she could trust this Doctor…or if he could even do something as extensive as brain surgery.

"If you do the surgery and it's successful, then what?" Carol had to know, she had to see if this innocent girl had a second chance at life.

"It all depends on how much trauma the bullet managed to impact on her brain….she may have temporary amnesia, or permanent memory loss of certain people, places, or things. She may never walk again….but that all depends on the severity, it could be as simple as a concussion, to amnesia, or as bad as a coma or axonal injury."

Carol looked up at Dr. Edwards, her facial features firm, her expression hard. "I'd never forgive myself if we didn't try. It never killed anyone to have a little faith."

 **A/N: There you have it. hope you all enjoyed!**


	3. Anger

**A/N: Hey all, kind of worried about this story, just for the fact that it doesn't seem to be getting as much attention as I had originally expected. Hopefully that changes, because I want to continue this...but not if no one is reading it. I'm gonna try to hold on for all of you who've actually enjoyed it so far and are looking forward to updates. Here's chapter three. Enjoy!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking dead. T.V. Series or comic books.**_

* * *

The group needed supplies, hell they needed to find a safe place to had been walking for too long.

Daryl hadn't spoken much since they left Grady Memorial, and Rick was worried.

He placed a supportive hand on Daryl's shoulder, hoping the gesture would let Daryl know that Rick was there if he needed him.

Daryl nodded. Talking wasn't something he was up for…not yet anyway.

Rick nodded his head in Daryl's direction, they had a mutual agreement.

Rick turned to go to the back of the group to walk with Judith and Carl.

Daryl didn't feel like conversing anyway, so that was okay. He heard someone dragging their feet next to him, and it was none other than Noah.

 _Apparently people don' know when tha' hell a man wants to be left alone._

"Hey…" Noah said picking up his head to follow in step with Daryl's footfalls.

Daryl kept his eyes ahead, clenching his jaw tightly.

That was a sure sign he didn't want to be bothered but Noah continued to push. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Daryl continued onward, not showing the least bit of interest in conversation.

Noah lagged behind, pausing to take a breath. "Look, I'm sorry about Beth…I didn't know her as long as you…but she was a nice girl, a good girl. I didn't know Carol well, I only knew that Beth trusted her, and refused to let her die."

Daryl stopped abruptly; closing his eyes tightly, and clenching his fists.

This was the first time anyone had mentioned Beth to him since he broke down about leaving her and Carol behind at Grady Memorial…that was days ago.

The rage welled up inside of his chest; he didn't know how to channel his emotions.

Between the pain, and the grief he felt over the loss of both Beth and Carol...the only thing he had left in him was anger.

"She _was_ a nice girl….she was our beacon of hope….and now she's dead, they're both dead." Daryl didn't recognize his own voice, yet alone the cruel words he spoke.

Noah inhaled sharply at Daryl's harsh words. "How can you be so heartless? They were part of your group, and how highly Beth spoke of you…she should have meant more to you than that." Noah lectured Daryl, and that did nothing but piss Daryl off even more.

This kid didn't know him or Beth, he didn't know the long months they spent together, he didn't know how sneaky she was and how somehow she found her way into his heart.

He had no idea that Carol helped Daryl see the good in him.

Daryl turned around, glaring at Noah. He took several strides forward, only a mere inch or two from the boy's face.

"Shut up kid." He said, pointing his finger at Noah's face as a warning.

Noah shook his head, taking a challenging step forward. "The impression I've gotten of you so far is this; you're a cruel person who doesn't care about anythin' or anyone."

Noah's words made Daryl take a step back; her voice haunted him, echoing through his mind. _"I want you to stop acting like you don't give a crap about anything! Like nothing we went through matters! Like…none of the people we lost meant anything to you! It's bullshit!"_

The pain resurfaced in a matter of seconds, it had taken him ten times as long to shove the anguish deep inside of him than it did for it to reveal itself once again.

"Shut up." Daryl said through gritted teeth, trying to keep the tears in his eyes at bay.

"They're memories deserve to be honored, and you're doing a bang up job." Noah added, holding his ground.

"Don't you get it?!" Daryl was shouting now, throwing his crossbow on the gravel next to his feet, and shoving his trembling hands through his hair.

"She told me to have faith! So I did, an' look where that got me!" He threw has hands in the air, tears staining his cheeks. "We're all dead, kid...and I'd rather not go on pretendin' like we can make it out of this. Faith does nothin' but destroy you. We have nothing left in this world, we're just…survivin'.'"

Noah stood there, speechless. He didn't want to hear that, he wanted to know that the people left in this world still had a chance. "You can't survive without hope…if you don't have hope, then why haven't you given up already?"

Daryl stood very still, staring off toward the tree linings of the woods.

His voice held no form of emotion, "I 'ono." He said softly.

Daryl closed his eyes; holding on to the image of Beth's beautiful voice as she sang, and played the piano inside the mortuary on one of the many nights they shared that would forever be branded into Daryl's memory.

He tried to grasp onto another memory, the feeling of the relief he felt when Carol and him were reunited after terminus had fallen. Those two things were all he had left to hold onto.

* * *

Daryl headed out into an empty field, needing some time to himself.

He didn't mean to get so rough with that kid Noah, but the boy was trying to push his buttons.

"What happened back there?" Rick questioned him, right on his heels.

Daryl rolled his eyes, closing them.

He just wanted everyone to leave him alone.

He shrugged, pulling a worn cigarette from the pocket of his vest. "The kid didn't know what he was talkin' about."

Rick nodded, approaching Daryl. "You cared for her, for both of them."

Daryl took a long drag from his stale cigarette. "I'm not discussin' this with ya." He said, walking away from Rick who only followed behind.

"You gotta grieve Daryl, grieve for her." Daryl stopped; turning on his heel he gave Rick a sideways glance. "If I grieve, then it's done and she's gone."

A pregnant pause put the two of them at a standstill. "She is gone, Daryl."

Daryl turned away, continuing on to no destination whatsoever. "She should still be here." He muttered.

"They should both still be here." Rick stayed behind, watching as Daryl walked into the woods.

He needed time, and Rick could respect that.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed! please review, favorite, and follow! Thank you so much for the support!**


	4. Awake and Alive

**A/N: Hey all! I'm trying not to get too bummed out because I feel like this story isn't getting very many reviews or follows that it's not very good. But like I read in a few reviews; sometimes people read just don't review. Which is okay! But please, if you feel up to it drop me a review! Who doesn't love reviews and likes to hear how bad and/or good they're doing? Lol. Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this chapter for some reason. I hope you all enjoy it.**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman...thanks go out to you._**

* * *

The sounds around her continued to fade in and out, she blinked a few times trying to focus.

Her mind was foggy and she was so…tired.

She felt herself going under again, unable to fight it.

The memories that replayed in her subconscious were like little specks of light.

A Sheriff's hat, the sound of a sweet baby's coo, and a tattered set of wings…she tried to make sense of these unfamiliar things…the imagines only distorting and fading away as her mind tried to analyze everything.

 _What a strange dream..._ Her thoughts echoed in the emptiness of her mind.

She tried to ignore the confusion and the pain when she imagined the tattered wings once again.

The image had some sort of a meaning.

It illuminated so much light and warmth inside of her she wanted to snatch up the wings and leave this dream before they were gone forever.

She took a step forward reaching a hand out to grab them, and to her shock they were gone just as quickly as they had appeared.

Just like that the warmth was gone and she was enveloped in a painful cold.

Beth's eyes snapped open, she tried to push herself up in the very uncomfortable bed she was in.

She looked down at her arms and noticed an I.V. in her left arm.

Feeling the sheer pain in her bones, she began tearing the tape off of the needle embedded in the top of her hand when a rough hand gently grabbed hers.

"Whoa whoa…you need that." The voice was strange and unfamiliar, which only frightened Beth more.

She had no idea who this person was and where the hell she was at.

She slapped his hand away, looking up at the man who wore glasses and a Doctor's coat.

Her eyes were wild with fear and alarm….what the hell?

Her eyes examined the room.

This wasn't her bedroom, where was Daddy? Where were Patricia and Otis? Where were Jimmy and Maggie?

"Who are you? Where's my Daddy?" She spoke in a quick, panicked tone reaching for the I.V. in her hand once again.

"Listen to me; My name is Dr. Edwards and I need you to answer a few questions for me. But first I need you to calm down." Dr. Edwards held his hands up in surrender, hoping she understood that he meant no harm.

Beth stared at the Doctor for a good ten minutes, he stayed in the same position and she didn't move from the bed.

"Alright…alright, I'm-I'm listening." She muttered softly, finally deciding to give this man a chance to explain things to her.

It's not like she had anyone around who could help piece together what was going on for her.

* * *

"What's your name?" He asked taking a seat next to her bed.

"My name is Beth, Beth Greene." She confirmed.

The doctor grabbed the small notepad from the upper front pocket of his coat.

He jotted something down.

"That's very good." He said.

"Do you know what day it is Beth? Better yet, do you remember the last event that took place?"

Beth crumpled up the sheets with her fists, furrowing her brows in thought.

She gasped, nearly jumping out of the hospital bed.

"There was a boy, he had been shot. Is he alright? Did he make it? Why am I here? Did something happen to me?" She rambled, the alarm rising in her voice once again.

Dr. Edwards did his best to calm her, guiding her to lie back down in her bed slowly.

Carol wasn't sure how long Beth had been asleep.

The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months and still her eyes had remained closed.

She stood in the doorway, and covered her mouth in utter shock before the gasp could escape.

Dr. Edwards gave Beth a sedative to get her to relax, and then turned toward Carol who remained in the doorway.

He stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind them.

Carol tried to get another glimpse at Beth.

"How long had she been awake?" Carol asked anxiously.

"Just a few minutes ago, luckily I was in there to calm her. The last event she remembers is some boy who had been shot." Dr. Edwards said.

Carol closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears.

"She's talking about Carl, before things got real bad…he was shot and Rick found himself on Hershel's farm begging the man to help his son…Hershel was Beth's father." Carol replayed that time in her mind, unsure of how she should feel right now.

Beth remembered nothing of the terrible things she had been through, and Carol was left wondering how she was going to tell her.

So far it seemed like she had no memories of the fire on her farm, the prison they made their home, and the Governor of Woodbury destroying that along with killing her father right before her eyes.

The girl was so young, and had witnessed such terrible things in this new world; this dreadful world. Carol didn't want to devastate her all over again.

Carol sighed, letting the tears slip from her eyes.

"How am I supposed to tell that girl that her father is dead? How am I supposed to relive that all over again?" Carol said out loud.

It was more of a question for herself than for Dr. Edwards.

"What other choice do you have? She needs to be prepared for the world out there again." He spoke softly.

"That is unless you plan on staying in this Hospital forever."

"Oh god and Daryl…" Carol thought about the fact that Beth more than likely didn't remember any of them, not even Daryl or the months she spent surviving with him…Carol knew he cared about Beth, no telling how relived or hurt he'd be.

Beth didn't even remember this hospital or being shot, that was probably the best thing to forget out of everything.

"Do you know when the sedative will wear off?" Carol folded her arms across her chest, looking through the small window of the hospital room door at the blonde haired girl.

"An hour or two, you can leave with her whenever you see fit…but I should warn you that the city is crawling with walkers….breaking her in may be best before you leave, otherwise you'll just get her killed." He said to Carol before turning and heading down the hallway to see to the rest of the recovering patients that were too injured to leave the hospital.

* * *

Daryl stared down at the cross they made out of two old white fence posts.

The paint was chipped and worn.

He felt like this poor excuse for a grave wasn't enough.

Beth deserved better, she deserved to be alive.

He stood very still; the group was silent waiting for Daryl to speak.

Beth's name was carved deep into the cross…he retraced her name with his eyes over, and over, and over again.

Maggie's speech really did a number on him.

The memory of Beth hugging him when he told her they were dead crept to the surface.

 _Her blue eyes glanced up at him. "I'm glad I didn't say goodbye, I hate goodbyes."_ She had said to him.

Daryl didn't take his eyes off of the cross. "Me too." He whispered.

"Daryl?" Rick was the one to break the silence.

Daryl tore his eyes away from the cross, looking up at his comrade.

Rick's eyes held question, all of this was too much for Daryl to deal with right now.

His eyes scanned the group quickly.

"I'm sorry, I just-I can't." He said quickly before storming off.

He picked up his crossbow and darted in the direction of the woods that lay directly beyond the ash and remains of the old barn on the Greene farm.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed! Thank you so much for supporting this story! I'll update soon!**


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